Courtroom Clash: Labour Party Seeks to Vacate Defected Reps’ Seats
The Labour Party (LP) has initiated legal proceedings to have the seats of four lawmakers who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) declared vacant.
This move comes after their defection letters were read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
The affected lawmakers include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
Citing Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, LP argues that lawmakers who switch parties without their original party being in crisis must vacate their seats.
The party’s leadership, however, expressed doubt that the Speaker would take action due to his perceived support for the defectors.
As a result, LP plans to pursue the matter in court while also publishing a “Hall of Shame” register to spotlight political betrayals and discourage similar actions in the future.